Kathryn McGowan

Romance. Adventure. Comedy. Tears. A movie about one couple’s journey through life. It could be the next blockbuster – but in fact, it was a specially created film celebrating a life well-lived by a Newtownabbey man as a special gift to his wife and daughters.

Romance. Adventure. Comedy. Tears. A movie about one couple’s journey through life. It could be the next blockbuster – but in fact, it was a specially created film celebrating a life well-lived by a Newtownabbey man as a special gift to his wife and daughters.

Newtownabbey man Tom Quinn has created a movie in a touching tribute to his beloved wife and children, celebrating 'a life well-lived.'

Tom Quinn took over Movie House Glengormley for a special private showing of a film that he created for the love of his life, Elaina.

This was a big year for the Quinn family. Tom turned 50 and each daughter had a significant birthday – Hannah 21, Emily 18 and Molly 13 – plus it was the couple’s silver anniversary. Five things in one year, demanded a special celebration.

“It all started a year ago when I started thinking of our 25th anniversary. I wanted to do something really special for Elaina and also to celebrate with our daughters. We were married in 1991 – Ghost had been on for weeks in the cinema and Bryan Adams Everything I Do, I Do It For You was number one for 16 weeks, and more importantly it was our wedding song,” he explained.

“I’m a bit of a joker and I can’t sing a note, so I decided I’d record that song for her as well as Cold Play’s Sky Full of Stars. She’d never expect that! So I found someone who could record it for me and edit it til it sounded good,” he said.

He then gathered a huge selection of the family’s photos and videos – from the couple’s wedding to christenings, birthdays, holidays and everything in between.

“It came together brilliantly because it showed the ups and downs of our life together, the joy of our family and everything we’d experienced together,” Tom added.

The film was created and transferred to DVD by a Belfast company and then Tom’s stealth continued. He sent a mysterious text to his family telling them to go to Movie House Glengormley where he told them they were going to see Ghost, the movie he and his wife had seen before they were married.

When they arrived, it seemed to be business as usual as the family went into the screen to settle in to watch Ghost. “Just before the film was due to start, there was interference, like a ghost was disrupting it and then suddenly you see me on screen, bursting into song with Everything I Do. Elaina couldn’t believe it, she let out a yell and jumped up and her popcorn and Coke went flying!”

Elaina explains that she was totally speechless. “I couldn’t believe the amount of work he put into this and that none of us suspected a thing. I’d been trying to make a memory album for him and couldn’t find our wedding album but it never occurred to me that he may have it. But really that’s just Tom – everything he does, he does for his family.”

Tom added: “My father and her mother also came and we were all very emotional – watching back our whole lives together over 35 minutes. Movie House Glengormley was the perfect venue – we had the screen to ourselves like VIPs and it’s something that will live long in our memories,” he said.

“I just wanted to say thank you to my wife for everything she has given me over a quarter of a century and I wanted to give our daughters this movie that they would always have because we’ve had such a great life together and I’m truly thankful,” he said.